A systematic review on application of electrokinetics in stabilization and remediation of problematic soils

The geotechnical and geoenvironmental issues of soils like low strength, high water content, low permeability, delayed dissipation of excess pore water pressure, and presence of different contaminants require special remediation and stabilization techniques. The application of electrokinetics has gained wide recognition as a sustainable soil treatment method in the recent years. Therefore, the primary aim of this study was to evaluate the global research trends in application of electrokinetics in stabilization and remediation of problematic soil based on publication output, co-authorship among authors and affiliated countries, and co-occurrence of authors keywords and has been attempted for very first time. The critical analysis using Scopus database shows that a total of 1562 articles were published during 1960–2022 across the world. The results confirm that publication output has increased significantly in the last 5 years, which accounts for roughly 37% of over-all publications. The researchers from China, USA, Spain and South Korea contributed approximately 60% of total publications globally. Among the most prominent top 15 authors, approximately 40% were from Spain, followed by 13% each by the USA and China. Further, the study provides important findings of the selected studies, probable application areas and the challenges associated with it when implemented on a large-scale. At the end, this systematic review offers a comprehensive understanding of research gaps and current opportunities for consideration by the researchers and practicing engineers.